Musings

I wrote this 6 years ago. I remember these things happening but I don’t remember writing this. I didn’t actually finish it but I think I will post it anyway. Who would have guessed that 6 years later, I would be in Oregon, social distancing and at this point, making running the center of my life.

Yesterday two things happened that made me want to post on Facebook right away. But I was out and about and by the time I got to my computer I realized that these needed more than a Facebook post. I was afraid I would sound too trivial if I just threw these things out there and I didn't want to trivialize either situation.
I was walking past our local sports bar. It sits in a forlorn corner of a small shopping center and while I have never been inside I imagine the kinds of people I might see in there. Locals, mainly, who have not gotten a hold of the good life some of us imagine living. They stop in for a beer that lasts all evening, watching the Niners or the Sixers or whoever is playing on the overhead TV. Perhaps they meet their friends there every Wednesday night. I don't know. I just kind of imagine it that way. The outside of the bar is not particularly inviting. I think the outside walls are painted cinderblock and there is a corner by the street that people use to smoke their smokes and as a restroom when everything is closed (I guess).
I had just stepped off the Wharf Center bus and was on my way to the office when I felt a moment of deja vu. As I passed the bar there were two youngish people, a man and woman, leaning against the wall of the bar and they were conversing with a slightly older guy. The woman had something in her hand that could have been a film cannister or something like that. The younger guy had a baggy with weed in it. And I am sure of that. It was a lid! I hadn't seen something like that in forever. Anyway the older guy was shaking his head no so I guess there was no deal and when they noticed me passing by they sort of tried to hide what they were doing. But I am a child of the 60's! I know what I saw. Anyway they didn't have to worry about me. I wasn't going to do or say anything. But it just seemed so weird to see that. Kind of a misplaced event or transaction. Not what I expected to see there. But then again why not?
The second thing I want to talk about was my trip to the library. And this is actually about my return trip, not being at the library. Between Andy's office and Front street, among other things, are a couple of pay parking lots. Except for one they are kind of on the honor system I guess. I haven't ever seen an attendant at them. But the one closest to Front Street has a guy who tries to attract people to that particular lot. He stands next to or in the street and yells at the cars cruising by that this is the place they want to park. And some listen to him. We always say hi to each other. And we introduced ourselves once. He is another kind of down and outer person. Called himself Sergeant Major Kevin Something or other of the U.S. Marine Corps Retired. Served in Viet Nam. The way he said it, standing there in his flip flops and dirty torn tee shirt all I could answer as we shook hands was, Thank you for your service. Not something I would have said so many years ago. But his response shook me. Tears came to his eyes and he said that no one had ever said that to him. He looks older than he is I am sure and dresses very shabbily but he always has a smile. Until yesterday. He wasn't there. There was a new guy. I smiled as I walked by him and he immediately said, "today is my first day at work!" I said great or something like that. Then he rambled on about how he had been on the job for three hours and his feet kind of hurt but he had gotten 25 customers. Then he said, " Man, I have been out of work for so long!" He had such a happy look on his face. I don't know how he gets paid, by the hour or by how many cars he attracts but he was obviously so happy to be employed. I also wonder what happened to his predecessor. I hope he is okay.
And of course I was eager to post about these two encounters but it made me think a lot about Lahaina and what this town is really like. There are people here who are wealthy and there are people here who are practically unemployable and don't really know where their next meal will be coming from. And there are lots of people in the middle. But the thing is, even though we don't appear to have a homeless problem such as we have in SF or Oakland they do seem to exist in Lahaina. I don't think I have ever seen a panhandler on Front Street or any of the side streets. There are so many tourists here  and I am sure they are oblivious to anything except the souvenir stores and historic buildings. They stay at the fancy hotels or condos in Ka'anapali or in Wailea. They come by tender from the the huge cruise ships and they jump onto the Roberts tour busses. They see the Lahaina that they want to see, Maui that the businesses want them to see.